In general, the visibility of portable communication devices has improved due to remarkable developments in multimedia and display technologies. Accordingly, touch panels are increasingly employed in portable communication devices.
In the case of a general resistive touch sensor, since the touch panel can provide location information only when two sensors contact each other as a result of touch pressure, a film needs to be attached to a window provided in a portable communication device. In contrast, a capacitive touch panel provides the location of a point where electric charges are discharged during a touch.
A capacitive touch panel will be described in more detail as follows.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration of a touch panel including a window according to the related art
Referring to FIG. 1, the capacitive touch panel 1 includes a window part 2 formed of reinforced glass, a polymer film layer 3 attached to a bottom surface of the window part 2, a pattern ultraviolet (UV) resin layer 4 applied to an lower portion of the polymer film layer 3, a touch sensor film module 5 attached to a bottom surface of the pattern UV resin layer 4, and a display part, e.g., a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 6 attached to a bottom surface of the touch sensor film module 5.
The pattern UV resin layer 4 is applied to the polymer film layer 3 to form a pattern 7. The pattern 7 is formed in the applied pattern UV resin layer 4, and the pattern 7 is deposited 8 and printed 9. Bubbles 1c may be generated during deposition or printing. The polymer film layer 3 is attached to the window part 2 by using, e.g., an Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA) (not illustrated).
In FIG. 1, the touch sensor film module 4 is attached to a bracket 6a of the display part (e.g., LCD) 6 through a double-sided tape 1a. Then, an air layer 1b is provided between the touch sensor film module 4 and the display part (e.g., LCD) 6 to protect the display part (e.g., LCD) 6 from deflection of the window part 2.
The configuration of the touch panel is disclosed in Korean patent application Laid-Open No. 10-2011-002857 (issued on Jan. 10, 2011).
However, when light passes through different media, refractions and reflections generally occur in the touch panel due to differences in the refractivity of the different media.
Thus, in the capacitive touch panel according to the related art, light sequentially passes through the media including the window part, the UV resin layer, the touch sensor film module, the air layer, and the display part (e.g., LCD), and thus refractions and reflections of light occur whenever the media are changed, lowering the visibility of the product.
In addition to the above problems in the related art, if an existing touch panel is dropped, the UV resin layer is apt to be cracked by a hard primer layer provided in the polymer film layer due to the impact. Also, in the related art, an impact to a side of the touch panel may transfer to the touch panel.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for adding another UV resin layer for minimizing refractions and reflections of light to the existing resin layer. Additionally, a need exists for a soft primer layer to prevent the UV resin layer from being cracked due to the impact of, e.g., the touch panel being dropped. A further need also exists for a space to be provided in order to avoid damage from an impact to a side surface of the touch panel.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.